OFT, in the stilly night,
Ere slumber’s chain has bound me,
Fond Memory brings the light
Of other days around me:
The smiles, the tears
Of boyhood’s years,
The words of love then spoken;
The eyes that shone,
Now dimm’d and gone,
The cheerful hearts now broken!
Thus, in the stilly night,
Ere slumber’s chain has bound me,
Sad Memory brings the light
Of other days around me.
When I remember all
The friends, so link’d together,
I’ve seen around me fall
Like leaves in wintry weather,
I feel like one
Who treads alone
Some banquet-hall deserted,
Whose lights are fled,
Whose garlands dead,
And all but he departed!
Thus, in the stilly night,
Ere slumber’s chain has bound me.
Sad Memory brings the light
Of other days around me.
~Thomas Moore
Aksar shab-e-tanhai main ‘ kuch dair pehlay neend say
Guzri hui dil-chuspian ‘ Beetay huay din aish kay
Buntay hain shama-e-zindagi ‘ Aur daaltay hain roshni
Meray dil-e-sud chaak per
Woh bachpan aur wo saadgi ‘ Woh rona woh hansna kabhi
Phir woh jawani kay mazay ‘ Woh dil lagi woh qehqahay
Woh ishq woh ehd-e-wafa ‘ Woh wada or woh shukriya
Woh lazzat-e-bazm-e-tarb ‘ Yaad aati hain ik aik sab
Dil ka kanwal jo roz-o-shab ‘ rehta shagufta tha so ab
Us ka yeh abtar haal hai ‘ Ik sabza-e-pamaal hai
Ik phool kumhlaya hua ‘ sookha hua bikhra hua
Ronda para hai khak per
Yun hi shab-e-tanhai main ‘ Kuch dair pehlay neend say
Guzri hui na-kaamiyan ‘ Beetay huay din ranj kay
Bantay hain shama-e-baykasi ‘ Or daltay hain roshni
Un hasraton ki qabr per
Jo aarzooain pehlay theen ‘ Phir gham say hasrat ban gaein
Gham doston kay faut ka ‘ Un ki jawan mot ka
Lay daikh sheeshay main meray ‘ Un hasraton ka khoon hai
Jo gardish-e-ayyam say ‘ Jo qismat-e-nakaam say
Ya aish-e-ghum anjaam say ‘ Merg-e-But-e-gulfaam say
Khud meray ghum main mer gaein ‘ Kis tarha paaon main hazeen
Qaboo dil-e-baysabr per
Translated in Urdu by the Hindustani poet, Nadir Kakorvi (1857-1912)
